Vehicle-wheel and tire therefor.



`PA'IENTED JAN. 7, 1908.

V. H. MODOWELL. VEHICLE WHEEL AND TIRE THEREFOR.

yAPPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14.1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

YPA|1E1\ITED JAN. '7, 1908. v. H. MCDOWBLL. f

VEHICLE WHEEL AND TIRE THEREPOR.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPTA-1,1906.

2 SHEETSSHBET 2.

VALENTINE II. MCD OWELL,

PATENT QEEliliil OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

lVEHIIIS'JLE-WHEEL AND TRE THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentes een. t', 1i eos.

Application filed September 1%. 1906. Serial llo. 384.641.

.To all whom 'it muy concern:

'Be it known that l, VALENTINE H. Mc- DowELL, of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Vehiele-l/Vheels and Tires Therefor, of which the following a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle wheels, chiefly for heavy motor vehicles, having elastic tires which are capable of movement relatively to the Wheel rim bythe inherent resilience of the tire itself with or without the aid of a cushion of compressed air confined within the tire.

The invention has for its object, first, to provide improved means for securing an elastic tire to a wheel rim, and, secondly, to

provide an improved construction in an elastic tire looking to increased resilience and desirability.

The invention consists in the` improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

' tions embodying portions of. my invention.

The same letters of reference indicate the saine parts in all the figures.

Referring to Figs: l and 2, a re resents a cushioned tire composed of a suita )le elastic material or composition such as is usually employed in making heavy tires of this character, such as a composition containing rubber, reinforced if desired by textile fabric reinforcing material b inclosed in the elastic composition. The tire here shown has its inner face or the face opposite the tread surface shaped to conform to the outer surface of the wheel rim. The edges of the inner portion of the tire are provided with a lurality of' concentric flanges c c, the said anges being separated from each other by intermediate spaces. Portions of the reinforcing material b are preferably extended into the said flanges as shown in Fig, l, to give suitable strength to the flanges.

d and d represent metallic rim sections which are detachably connected to each other and to the i'elly e, the outer surfaces of said sections constituting a seat on whichthe tire e bears. The sections d d are prol vided with outwardly projecting flanges d? di, each of which is provided with an inner are d and an outer car (Z4. The ears di enter the spaces between the flanges `c c of the tire while the ears d4 bear on the outer surfaces of the outer flanges c. i ff represent bolts which pass through rim sections and their ears, and through the flanges of the tire to prevent creeping of the tire.

It will be seen that the above described construction provides for a secure clenohing connection between the tire and the wheel and for the detachable connection of the tire to the wheel, the rim sections d d being detachable from each other and independently detachable frorn the folly, The sece tion d is countersunk to receive the inner portion of the section (Z, the latte' cured to the section d and to il means of bolts o which are i movable from the interior o. .li c ly. removing the bolts g, the rim section d is released and can be readily removed from the Wheel and from the tire, the boltsf connect* ing said section with the tire being removed. After this, the tire may be readily removed from the 'wheel after being` disconnected from the rim section d b'r the removal of the bolts j connecting it tierowitli. The riin section d is preferably attached to the folly by bolts 't having heads 7U seated' in a conutersunk opening in the outer portion oi the section d and secured by nuts itl engaged with their inner ends.

In thc embodiment of my invention shown in ll`igs. l and 2, the resilience of .c e mate 'rial of the tire is relied upon for the cuan ioning effect, no means :for i 'ating the tire being provided. To pro-vit e a substitute for a compressed air cushion wit ,in the tire, I forni in the inner portion of the tire a lou gitudinal chamber or opening i, to the outer and inner walls of which .l attach a core com.- poscd of two side pieces /f 7c of the saine cias tic material as the tire, and united thereto by vuloanization, the said core lming a part oi' the tire. The side pieces /.i he 'e convex outer sides and concave inner sides, and meet at the median line of the tire, their inner sides being separated by an opening y'. 'lhe convex sides have a lesser curvature 'than the adjacent sides of the chamber as shown in Fig. l. pieces constitutes practically an elliptic spring arranged with its major axis in the The coro formed by flic side ence afforded by the outer branches arline of pressure. When the tread yields to external pressure the side pieces 7c lc yield also and are ilexed or bulged outwardly toward the sides of the chamber i. As the side pieces bulge, they `gather force which causes them.

to react aider the manner of compressed air confinedai'ii an air tube. r

Between the tread of the tire and the opening t and its core, l form a series of laterally extending air-chambers m, each of whichfis 'preferably formed with two oppositely 1nclined branches 2,2 which moet at the central ortion of the tire at a point near it tread, as shovvn in iny application for Letters Patent of the United States, filed Dec. 4, 1905, Serial No, 290,060, and with two additional oppositely inclined branches 3, 3 which meet near the center of the tire. v The said branches surround a core fm and as here shown, form a chamber of rhomboidal form, although' this is not essential as 'then branches 2, 2 and 3, 3 surrounding a core may be otherwise formed.` The inner branches 3, 3 add considerably to the res'ihranged as shown in my above mentioned application, the said inner branches permitting the portions of the tire outside the outer vbranches to yield more freely, as will be readily seen. By the conjoint use of the inner longitudinal air chamber with its core, and the series of transverse air chambers lm having inner as well as outer branches, 1 obtain a tire which compares favorably as to resiliency with a pneumatic tire. 'I

A In Fig. 3,1 show a compressed air chamber o adapted to be inflated instead of the air chamber fi and its core. i also show transverse air chambers between the chamber o and the tread of tie tire, said chambers p havin substantially the form of the chambers s own in my above mentioned application. The employment of the transverse chambers p in' the tread portion of a pneur.matic tire, enables a sucient thickness of material to be provided between the tread and the compressed air chamber of a pneumatic tire, to prevent liability of puncturing the air chamber. Y

In Fig. d l show the double clencher feature of my invention embodied in an elastic tire c which is adapted to contain an inflatable inner tube c2. 1n this case the tire flanges c c are held vby the inflated inner tube a2 in engagement with ears o 0 formed on the flanges p at the op osite edges of the metallic rim or tire p/,bo ts f being preferably emplolyed to prevent creeping o the tire.

claim:

1. An elastic tire adapted to contain air, and provided with a plurality o'clencher-engaging ilanges separated by a s ace at each edge of its b and said flanges being reinforced by continuous textile fabric embedded therein,

ase portieri, the bo y of the tire/ 2. In combination, an elastic tire adapted to contain air, and provided with a plurality of clencher-engaging flanges separated by a space at each edge of its base portion, the body of the tire and said flan es being reinforced by continuous textile fa ric embedded therein, and a wheel rim having means for engaging both sides and thespacesrof said flanges. y

3. An elastic tire adapted to contain air,

and provided at each ed e of its base portionl with a plurality of clenc er-engaging flanges and a series of transverse indepen ent air.

chambers between the continuous chamber and the tread portion, each independent chamber having two oppositely inclined outer branches which .meet at the central portion of the tire in close proximity to the tread, and diverge toward the edges of the tire, and two oppositely inclined inner branches-extending inwardly from the outer branches,"and meeting at the central portion of the tire in close proximity to the continuous air chamber.

5. A resilient tire having a series of independent transverse air chambers between its tread and inner'portions, each chamber having two oppositely-inclined outer branches which meet at the central portion of the tire in relatively close proximity to the tread, andtwo oppositely-inclined inner branches extending inwardly from the outer branches, and meeting at the central portion of the said outer and inner branches surrounding a core which is integral with the body of the tire, the several cores and the intermediate portions of the body being eircumferentially continuous.

6. A hollow, resilient tire having in its interior a continuous air chamber, and a c'ore having walls sub-dividing said air chamber into three distinct, continuous inner charnbers, said walls being curved to present convex outer sides and concave inner sides which moet substantially at the median line of the tire, said walls being of a thickness to constitute practically an elliptic spring arranged with its major axis in the line of pressure, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. A resilient tire having a longitudinal air chamber subdivided by a core having longitudinally curved side ieces and independent transverse air c arnbers, eachl lof 4the tire in rela tively elose proximity to the l tread,y and tWo op ositely inclined inner trai portion of the tire in 'relatively close proximity to the longitudinal' air chamber and its eore. t

8; A resilient tire having a longitudinal air chamber subdivided by a core having longitudinally ourjtfed side pieces, and independent transverse air chambers as described, between said longitudinal chamber and the tread portionl of the tire, each Chamber having outer and inner branches surroundingI core which is integral with the body of the tire7 the several cores and the intermediate portions of the body constituting a eirourni'erentially continuous core.

9. A lresilient tire having a longitudinal air chamber subdivided by a core having curved side pieces, and independent trans- Verse air chambers between said longitudinal chamber and its core, and the tread o'l the tire, each transverse chamber having outer and inner branches surrounding a core.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, inpresence of two Witnesses.

VALENTINE H, MeDoWnLL.

Witnesses: C. F. BROWN,

E. BATOHEL'DER. 

